Robin Thicke and Paula Patton Separate After 9 Years of Marriage

February 25, 2014 00:35:00 GMT

The couple said they would remain best friends in the announcement that follows reports of him cheating on her.

Photo credit: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN

Robin Thicke and Paula Patton announced that they are separating. The married couple said in a statement to People, "We will always love each other and be best friends, however, we have mutually decided to separate at this time."

Thicke and Patton have known each other for more than 20 years. They were married in 2005 and welcomed son Julian Fuego in April 2010. Thicke has also been expressing his love for Patton and how she's very understanding. The 36-year-old singer said last year, "We're pretty sure we've loved each other for a few lives."

Thicke also revealed how his 38-year-old actress wife reacted to his controversial stage act with Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. "Obviously, she's very excited," Thicke said. "She's supported me from day one. Sometimes she rolls her eyes. Things [I say] get misconstrued in interviews and then debated. So some of it's pretty weird."

He also discussed his sex life in October 2013, telling Elle, "The spice is not our problem. We're overspiced. We could probably take a few spices off the shelf." Patton herself gushed about her husband in September. "I've been there for his down moments and he's been there for mine," she told Prestige Hong Kong magazine. "Life is full of peaks and valleys. Robin has always been a great person to remind me to celebrate now."

Thicke and Patton did not reveal the cause of their split but sources told Us Weekly their marriage had been unraveling for a long time due to his womanizing ways. There was a rumor that he had cheated on her during an August 25 party and he was photographed grabbing socialite Lana Scolaro's butt.

"It has been a long time coming," a source close to Thicke told Us. Another source said, "It is not a shock to Robin or Paula, and it is something they have discussed for a long time." The couple was still putting united front at the red carpet of Grammy Awards in January.